The Senate Takes on Drug Trafficking: A Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Tools Against a National Scourge

The Senate is set to examine a bipartisan bill this Tuesday, January 28, aimed at combating drug trafficking, a phenomenon rapidly expanding across France. Championed by senators Étienne Blanc (LR) and Jérôme Durain (PS), the proposed legislation seeks to address the urgent need to confront a problem that some lawmakers warn risks “Mexicanizing” the country.

A Comprehensive Judicial and Police Toolkit

This widely supported bill, backed by both the government and parties from across the political spectrum, builds on recommendations from a Senate investigative commission published in spring 2024. Key measures include the creation of a National Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (Pnaco), modeled after the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office. Slated for launch in early 2026, this office would be equipped with €130 million and would coordinate investigations into criminal networks.

Other provisions include the administrative freezing of drug traffickers’ assets, systematic investigations into unexplained wealth, and reforms to the status of informants, or “repentants,” to encourage whistleblowing within criminal organizations. Additionally, prefects would gain the authority to issue “exclusion orders” to bar individuals from drug-dealing hotspots—an initiative that has sparked debate but aims to curb the spread of trafficking networks.

A Growing, Tentacular Threat

Drug trafficking has now extended far beyond major cities like Paris and Marseille, infiltrating medium-sized towns such as Rennes, Mulhouse, and Verdun. High-profile incidents, such as the death of young Socayna, killed by a stray bullet in Marseille in 2023, or the tragic killing of Nicolas in Ardèche last fall, have deeply shaken public opinion.

Faced with this “drug trafficking trap,” senators aim to hit traffickers “where it hurts”—their finances—while equipping law enforcement with modern tools to counter criminals adopting tactics reminiscent of South American cartels.

National Unity on a Pressing Issue

In a rare show of national unity, the bill is expected to pass easily in the Senate before heading to the National Assembly in mid-February. The government, including the Ministers of Justice and the Interior, has expressed strong support for these measures. Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, has called for a mobilization comparable to that seen in the fight against terrorism.

While some voices, including environmentalists and advocacy groups, lament the lack of focus on prevention and public health, the priority placed on judicial and police efficiency underscores the urgency of addressing an issue generating estimated annual revenues of €3.5 to €6 billion.

With this legislation, the Senate aims not only to curb the proliferation of drug trafficking but also to restore the authority of the state in the face of a form of criminality that now threatens every layer of French society.